But there was no link found between obese women who engaged in strenuous physical activity and the time it took them to become pregnant.

These findings were published in March 15 in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility, even though the study did not prove a cause-and effect-relationship.

Wise observed that other research posited that being obese might lead to reduced chances of becoming pregnant compared to the fertility rate among normal weight women.

She also pointed out that obesity has often been linked with the instability of menstrual cycles.

Wise proposes something different from her predecessors who have studied the relationship between pregnancy and women weight.

She posits that obese women should engage in more vigorous exercises to decrease harmful effects of obesity and increase chances of becoming pregnant.

Why increased physical activity in obese women might lead to increase fertility rate is unclear since the researchers did not dig into this aspect.

Conclusions Reached

Dr. Dimitrios Mastrogiannis, director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, pointed out that:

“Obesity is a different ballgame. Different hormones are playing around in obesity—fatty tissue produces more female hormones, more estrogens. Other hormones are transformed into female hormones in the adipose tissue.”

He said that the research does not indicate that one should become obese to increase the chances of becoming pregnant.

Neither does total disengagement from physical activity increase probability of becoming pregnant.

Mastrogiannis noted that exercise is good since it reduces the chances of having such diseases as cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes etc.

And physical exercise can also be linked to better chances of becoming pregnant, less pain, easier labor, and fewer induced births.

The study concludes that normal weight women who wish to get pregnant should stick to moderate aerobic exercise.

The researchers recommended that normal weight women should engage in moderate exercises such as walking for; at least; 30 minutes in a day.

Mastrogiannis pointed out that: “If they engage in very vigorous exercise (such as running, fast cycling, gymnastics or swimming) for more than five hours a week, it makes them less fertile.”

So, it is good and beneficial for heavy and obese women to engage in vigorous exercises as it does not reduce their chances of becoming pregnant.

But normal size women need do only mild exercises if they hope to increase their chances of becoming pregnant.